Dish holder racks such as are used in dishwashers should desirably accommodate the item to be held in a manner which is efficient in its use of space such as to maximize the capacity of the dishwasher. These racks must also securely position the items so held in an attitude and spacing which is compatible with the washing system of the particular dishwasher. A recurrent problem has been in rack design for relatively large diameter items such as plates and bowls. Many dishwashers require that these items be securely positioned in a substantially vertical or slightly tilted position. An excessive degree of leaning forward or backward may result in improper washing action. In addition, the rack holder should be able to accommodate standard dinner plates and items of a deeper depth, such as soup and salad bowls.
Racks for this class of dishware usually take the form of spaced pairs of wire form elements, either fingers, doglegs or knees, as will be described hereinafter in more detail, which are equally spaced. The spacing of these elements is difficult to properly establish such as to both accommodate the varying depth items and also to provide adequate stability of the items to be supported in a vertical or nearly vertical attitude in the rack. The vertical inclination of the dishes, while necessary for proper washing action, also contributes to maximum efficiency in utilization of space within the dishwasher. This is because the overhead space provided for these racks takes into account the fact that these items are generally of relatively great diameter such that an overhead clearance within the dishwasher is established such as to accommodate the largest diameter plate or tray to be held. Accordingly, the vertical or overhead space above the rack should be utilized to maximum extent possible, and a vertical orientation or positioning of these items within the rack affords maximum efficiency in terms of utilizing space.
Of course, in any such consumer item which is manufactured in great numbers as are dishwashers, the cost of manufacture is of great significance and any such dish holder arrangement must be relatively simple and easily manufactured so as to minimize the costs involved.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a dish holder arrangement particularly adapted to dishwasher applications for large diameter items of varying depth such as to accommodate plates and bowls. This arrangement provides for a secure positioning of all of the items to be accommodated in a slightly inclined from the vertical position, properly spaced from one another.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a holder arrangement in which the items of varying depth are accommodated while achieving a highly efficient loading of the items in terms of maximum number of items in the dishwasher interior space.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a dish holder arrangement which is relatively simple and low in cost to fabricate.